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Fred Elliott
Frederick Handel "Fred" Elliott was a local businessman, butcher and publican. Identifiable by his large stature, bald head, his booming voice and his tendency to repeat himself, Fred was landlord of the Rovers Return Inn for five years until 2006 but his true passions were butchery and women. In addition to his three marriages, Fred proposed to many other women, including Kathleen Gutteridge, Doreen Heavey, Rita Sullivan, and Audrey Roberts, of whom he was especially fond. Fred's relationship with Kathleen started after he became a widower in 1975. Following the birth of their son Ashley, Kathleen rejected the baby and Fred handed him over to his sister and brother-in-law Beryl and Sam Peacock to raise as their own. Ashley was close to "uncle Fred" as he grew up, working for him at his butcher shop in Nelson Street, and was finally told the truth in 1999. This strengthened their bond and Fred eventually renamed the shop Elliott & Son. Fred longed to be married again and in 1997 Maureen Holdsworth became his wife. However, Maureen found his constant attention suffocating and ran away to Germany with Bill Webster less than two weeks after the wedding. In 2000, after transferring the butcher shop to 14 Victoria Street he formed a partnership with Mike Baldwin and Duggie Ferguson to buy the Rovers. Three months later, Duggie tricked his partners into selling their shares to him through a third party, but Fred got another shot at the pub when he bought it at auction as a present for his new bride Evelyn. This relationship also ended badly for Fred, as within months he discovered that Evelyn was a bigamist and threw her out. Fred remained the pub's owner, appointing a succession of managers until 2006 when he decided to sell up and marry Bev Unwin. On his wedding day, Fred went to seek Audrey's blessing for the union, and it was at her home that he suffered a massive stroke and died without making it to the altar. Biography Born in 1938, Fred was a Master Butcher, his shop being situated on Nelson Street, and first appeared in the Street as part of the Weatherfield delegation to their French twin town. At a black pudding contest, Fred tried to bribe the French judges, and nearly caused a diplomatic incident. Later in 1995, Fred started to become a Street regular, along with his "nephew" Ashley Peacock, his assistant at his shop. Now firmly established, he was Grand Master of the Weatherfield Square Dealers, senior partner in the Street racehorse, Betty's Hot Shot, chasing Rita Sullivan, and famed for his repetitive speech. As a youngster, he grew up at 22 Ashchurch Grove, next door to the Mottersheads and their daughter Suzie - who later became Ken Barlow's head teacher at Weatherfield Comprehensive. In May 1999, after gossiping a bit too much to Audrey Roberts, Fred was forced to admit that Ashley was his secret son. After Fred's first wife Sybil had died in 1975, Fred became romantically involved with Kathleen Gutteridge, a young worker in Elliott's shop in Nelson Street. Kathleen became pregnant, but scoffed at the idea when Fred proposed marriage - she was too young and wanted to see the world. It was agreed that Kathleen would leave the baby boy with Fred's childless sister, Beryl Peacock and her husband Sam. They brought up Ashley as their own son, never telling him of his true parentage. Ashley found out that Fred was his dad and they forged a close bond, even moving in together at 4 Coronation Street which Fred bought from Mavis Wilton after the death of her husband Derek. Ashley and his wife Maxine lived there until Maxine died and then Claire Casey the nanny moved in, eventually marrying Ashley and completing the family with the birth of Freddie, a new grandson in July 2006. Fred was scammed by a woman named Stacy Hilton who pretended to be an immigrant called Orchid, looking for a "mail order" husband. She was after his money - working with Dennis Stokes, an acquaintance of Fred's. Ashley discovered her working on Levenshulme Market and Fred's heart was again broken. A year or so later, Fred discovered Orchid beaten and being admitted to hospital. He almost took her back in but in the end sent her on her way. Always a serial proposer, having been turned down by Rita Sullivan, Audrey Roberts and Doreen Heavey, he made friends with Shelley Unwin's mother, Bev. They started to develop a closeness that they both shied away from, having been burned by members of the opposite sex in relationships but soon came to care deeply for each other. This time, Fred's proposal was accepted. They decided to move away from Weatherfield and Fred accepted an offer for the pub from Steve McDonald. The wedding was all set to go. However, his old friend Audrey was having doubts and spilled her heart out to Fred. She regretted saying no to him all those years ago! This caused Fred a lot of anxiety but on his wedding day, he rushed from the church to see Audrey and told her gently that he was marrying Bev, whom he loved. On the way out of her house, he collapsed and died after suffering a massive stroke leaving his family, friends, and fiancée, Bev, devastated. Personality Relationships Hobbies and interests Other information *Ashley was shocked when his apprentice butcher Graeme Proctor began talking like his dad Fred, and believed that he was possibly possessed. However, it turned out that Graeme had learned about Fred when Ashley's wife Claire told him about him, and Graeme was only doing it to wind Ashley up. Background information *Fred was introduced on a recurring basis, before returning full-time in 1996. *Fred was originally scheduled to have small part in the live 40th anniversary episode broadcast on 8th December 2000, but the character was written out when actor John Savident was advised by doctors not to appear, as he was recovering from neck wounds sustained in an a knife attack. Fred's lines were given to other characters. *In 2005, it was announced that Savident planned to quit after eleven years, wanting to spend time with his family. Fred was killed off in October 2006, although the episode where he had a stroke and died wasn't his last, he appeared in the following episode in an open casket. First and last lines "Do you like a nice blood sausage?" (First line, to Ken Barlow) --- "Be happy, I say. Be happy." (Final line, to Audrey Roberts) Appendices See also *Full list of appearances Category:Coronation Street characters Category:Articles in need of major additions Category:1938 births Category:2006 deaths Category:1997 marriages Category:2001 marriages Category:Residents of 4 Coronation Street Category:Rovers residents Category:2006 departures Category:Freshco staff Category:1994 debuts Category:Butcher shop staff Category:Corner Shop owners Category:1959 marriages Category:Elliott family Category:Rovers licensees Category:Rovers owners